HOBOKEN, N.J. (November 3, 2011) – The Stevens Institute of Technology men’s soccer team (14-2, 6-0) will host the semifinals of the 2011 Empire 8 Tournament against Ithaca College on Friday, November 4 at 3:30 p.m. at the DeBaun Athletic Complex. The Ducks are ranked 18th in the nation according to the NSCAA, are No. 7 in the D3Soccer.com national poll and are the top seed for the Empire 8 Championship. The game will be webcast on www.empire8.tv.
Ithaca comes into the Empire 8 semifinals with a 4-9-1 record and an even 3-3 record in the league. Freshman Tim Goldman (Fayetteville, N.Y.) leads the fourth-seeded Bombers with three goals and seven points on the year.
The Ducks come into the postseason hot, riding a 13-game winning streak. Nine of Stevens’ 11 starters were named to the all-conference team, headlined by Empire 8 Player of the Year Zach Adler (McKinney, Texas). Stevens head coach Devin Rensing was also honored as the conference’s Coach of the Year in his first season at the helm.
In the last meeting between the schools, junior Victor Daza (North Plainfield, N.J.) scored the only goal of the Ducks’ 1-0 homecoming victory on October 15. Adler found Daza in space outside the box and fed it to him on the left side. Daza corralled the pass and surveyed his options before faking a drive and then drilling a high shot over both the Itahca defender and the goalkeeper for the score 22 minutes in. Paul Killian (Ellicott City, Md.) earned the shutout with two saves for Stevens. The Ducks outshot the Bombers in the game 16-12.
Tickets for both days of the Empire 8 Tournament will be $5 for the general public and $3 for students and senior citizens. Stevens students, faculty and staff, as well as children under 12, will be free. No pass lists will be available for the Empire 8 Tournament.
The winner of Friday’s game will take on the winner of the other semifinal between Nazareth College and Elmira College on Sunday for the Empire 8 Championship and an automatic NCAA Championship berth. If the Ducks are victorious in the semifinals, they will host the Empire 8 Final at noon on Sunday.